February is Heart Health month. Beans are well enough known for their benefits to cardio-vascular health that we’ve played upon the childhood rhyme. (A heart attack, in medical terms, is an infarction):
Health benefits of legumes
Legumes provide a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as lots of fibre and other beneficial phytochemicals. They are naturally low in fat and have a low glycemic index. High fiber and low GI foods can help to regulate blood sugar balance and energy.
Additionally, legumes provide a healthy source of complex carbohydrates, protein and prebiotics, and are an everyday staple in plant-based diets. We recommend that everyone include beans, peas, and lentils in their diet — not just vegetarians.
There are so many health benefits to making legumes a regular part of your diet:
• less risk of cardiovascular disease
• reductions in blood pressure
• lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels
• lower risk of developing diabetes, as well as improving glycemic and lipid control in people who have diabetes
• healthy microbiome diversity
• immune support
Here are some favorite recipes we hope will inspire you to use more beans in your diet. For ease of cooking, you can make these with canned beans, and it’s even better (and cheaper) to soak and cook dried beans to use in these recipes.
Thai curried chickpea stew, loaded with vegetables!
A splash of vegetable oil 1 large onion, diced 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, chopped A small knob of frozen ginger 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of Thai curry paste 2 sweet potatoes, cubed One 19 ounce (540 mL) can of chickpeas One 14 ounce (398 mL) can of coconut milk 1 cup (250 mL) of orange juice 1/2 cup (125 mL) of peanut butter or any other nut butter A sprinkle of sea salt 1 cup (250 mL) or so of frozen green peas Several handfuls of baby spinach A bunch of chopped cilantro
Add a splash or two of vegetable oil to a stockpot over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion and garlic and sauté them until they’re lightly browned; about 5 minutes.
Grate the frozen ginger into the pan with a microplane grater and add the Thai curry paste. Continue cooking until the spices are heated through and fragrant.
Add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk, orange juice and peanut butter and salt. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat and continue simmering until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the peas, spinach and cilantro.
Serve over rice.
Freezes very well.
There are three basic types of Thai curry paste, each with its own distinctive flavour. Choose one based on your tolerance for spicy heat: yellow is the mildest, red is a bit spicier and green is the spiciest. This dish works very well in your slow cooker. You can use any type of hard winter squash instead of sweet potatoes; butternut and acorn squash are both good here.
Black bean burgers
These bean burgers are not vegan, but we have provided substitutions to make a vegan version below the recipe.
2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup (100g) finely chopped bell pepper (1/2 of a pepper)
1 cup (130g) finely chopped yellow onion (1/2 of a large onion)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tablespoon)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup (60g) bread crumbs or oat flour
1/2 cup (70g) feta cheese (skip if vegan)
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons ketchup, mayo, or BBQ sauce
pinch salt + pepper
Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Spread beans evenly onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until slightly dried out. (This improves the texture of the burger.)
Meanwhile, sauté olive oil, chopped pepper, onion, and garlic over medium heat until peppers and onions are soft: about 5-6 minutes. Gently blot some of the moisture out. Place in a large bowl or in a food processor with the remaining ingredients (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt, and pepper). Stir or pulse everything together, then add the black beans. Mash with a fork or pulse the mixture in a food processor, leaving some larger chunks of beans.
Form into patties, about 1/2 cup (130g) of mixture each, about 3/4-inch thick.
To bake: Place patties on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F (191°C) for 10 minutes on each side, 20 minutes total.
To pan fry: Saute in olive oil for about 5 minutes each side, until golden. Serve with your favorite toppings. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Cooked or uncooked black bean burgers freeze wonderfully between sheets of parchment paper, for up to 3 months.
Vegan & vegetarian versions: Worcestershire sauce is not vegan or vegetarian. For vegan burgers, make the following 3 changes: (1) leave out the Worcestershire sauce or replace with your favorite vegan condiment such as BBQ sauce, (2) leave out the cheese, and (3) replace the eggs with 1/3 cup mashed sweet potato.
Southwest Bean Salad
1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon or more of your favourite hot sauce 1 14 ounce can mixed beans, drained and rinsed well 1 cup cooked frozen corn, or raw corn sliced off the cob 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 pint basket cherry tomatoes, halved 1 red onion, thinly sliced 1 handful green beans, steamed and cut into bite-sized pieces 1 handful yellow beans, steamed and cut into bite-sized pieces 1 bunch fresh cilantro, minced sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a salad bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard and hot sauce. Add all the other ingredients and toss to combine. Season to taste. If you like things spicier, add a diced jalapeno pepper to the mix.
Serve immediately or rest for a few hours to develop the flavours. This can easily keep in the fridge for a few days, making a tasty lunch or snack.
Comments